My First Day in Bank of India – Part 2

Bhadani - 1974

Mr. D. S. Jain introduced me to 
Mr. Moti Lal Gupta who was a stalwart and a powerful Union Leader of Delhi and probably of North India. Mr. Motilal Gupta was doing some work. It was cash book (which I came to know later on), and there I was left by Mr. Jain who returned to his seat. 


Mishra jee instead of being around the cash cabins (3 in nos.) brought some cold drinks and after keeping the bottle disappeared deep below in the basement from where a gentleman appeared. He introduced himself, “I am Jugal Mehra, and I am a Special Assistant-cum-Custodian of the SDV Vault.” Though I expressed my delight at this designation, it was actually Greek to me and I could not make anything out of it. We shook hands. Mr. Motilal Gupta asked me to have the cold drink and I gulped the stuff with much relish as for such stuff I had to walk at least one km from my residence or hostel in Patna (though my father was posted in Patna when I joined BOI, I was also having a room in Patna Law College Old Hostel, and I used to reside at both the places in Patna intermittently as per my whims and fancy). Within few moments when Mr. Motilal Gupta raised his head and saw that the bottle was empty and the straw was untouched, he asked me with a benevolent smile, “Don’t worry. Take the other bottle too. These things are for young people like you.” I felt highly jubilant at his magnanimous offer and gulped the same immediately before he could change his mind. As a small town boy, I was not aware of niceties of saying thanks, etc., and I believed that he didn’t mind too. He told Mr. Jugal Mehra, ”Introduce him to all staff members.” 


The orders were followed meticulously; and I was made to roam around the branch with him and getting introduced to everyone, say around 15 or 16 persons. I still recollect some names of those persons with whom I developed a little more acquaintance during my 8 months of posting at this branch: Mr. Hemant Vyas (Officer from Gujarat who had been posted here on promotion from clerical cadre); Mr. Padmanabhan and Mr. Nayar (both clerks, and both belonging to the Indian state of Kerala, the God's own country); sub-staff members who were 3, namely, Hari Singh jee (non-Sikh) and Sardar Nanak Singh jee, apart from Mishra jee. Sardar Nanak Singh jee turned out to be really helpful in arranging an accommodation for me - a partially furnished room with an attached bathroom, an annexe of a sprawling double storey bungalow on Original Road, Karolbagh. By the time introduction ritual was over, it was lunch time so Mr. Jugal Mehra asked Mishra jee to show me a restaurant. He took me to a nearby place called “Kailash” and left me there telling me, “you take something, I am going to the branch to take my lunch”. I perused the menu and found that Masala Dosa followed by a Kulfi would be appropriate to celebrate my first lunch as a bank officer. I devoured a big masala dosa having “masala” of Punjabi style with chana, paneer and a variety of other tasty materials. Kulfi was really big compared to Patna Kulfi and tastier too. The kulfi tasted so nice that the modern guys and gals of now-a-day would have termed it “cool”. 


I returned to the branch and sat in front of Mr. D. S. Jain who was doing so many things (multi-tasking in to-day’s lingo), and also sometimes asking me something but before I could reply, he again got engrossed in some work. While sitting I was surveying the activities in the branch which I was unable to decipher. Only thing I could understand was Mr. Jain introducing me sometimes to customers as a new Officer who would happen to come to his table. I was feeling as if I were in the realm of the Arabian Nights and something unusual shall happen and doors shall open with sesame and I shall be able to learn banking instantaneously. 


I shall continue with my story of my First Day post-lunch shortly, in the next post. 


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